Folding table.



A. J. BAUKER.

FOLDING TABLE.

APPLIGATION FILED 11.1 19, 1912 1,132,061 Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

THE NORRIS PETERS 60., PHOTO-LITHQ. WASHINGTON, 11 C.

ARTHUR J. BACKER, OFSYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

FOLDING TABLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

Application filed May 9, 1912. Serial No. 696,188.

To a whom it mag/concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR J. BAOKER, of '7 yracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Folding Tales, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improve- .ments in folding tables for camp outfits and similar uses and refers more particularly to the frame for supporting any suitable folding or rigid top.

The main object is to provide a light and.

comparatively inexpensive portable frame capable of supporting relatively heavyloads when adjusted for use and also adapted to be folded into compact space for transportation and storage.

Another object is to provide the frame with suitable legs capable of being folded within the surface of the end pieces of the frame and held in such position concealed from view when the frame is folded to its minimum size.

Other objects and uses relating to specific parts of the device will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawingsF igure l is a perspective view of my improved frame adjusted for use. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same frame in its folded condition. Fig. 3 is an inverted plan of one end of the frame in its extended position except that the legs are folded into the groove in one of the end pieces. Fig. 4 is a lengthwise sectional view through one of the end pieces showing the manner of folding the legs into the groove provided therefor. Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view through one of the end pieces taken on line 55 Fig. 1.

As illustrated in the drawings, the folding frame comprises opposite parallel side pieces l and -2, opposite parallel end pieces 3 and 4 and folding legs 5, the side bars being divided transversely midway between the ends, all of which parts may be made of wood or sheet metal for lightness and strength and are hinged to each other in a manner hereinafter described so as to constitute a rectan gular frame when adjusted for use or may be folded into the position shown in Fig. 2. The side and end bars are preferably of the same cross sectional form and size usually rectangular and of greater vertical depth than transverse thickness so as to better resist the weight of any load which may be placed thereon. The joining ends of the side and end bars are hinged together in the same plane by vertical pivots -6 and 7, While the side bars land 2 are divided in the same transverse plane to form alined sections l and 2, the meeting ends of the sections of each side being hinged by horizontal transverse pivots 9,' thereby dividing the frame into opposite U-shaped end sections each adapted to'swing upon the other about the co-axial pivots 9 so that when folded to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, the pivots 6 and 7 at one end of the framewill be brought into exact co-axial alinement "with the corresponding pivots -6 and at the opposite end. The axes of the pivots 6 are preferably in the same plane as the inner faces of the sides 1 and ends 2 so as to allow the side sections 1 to be folded against the inner face of the adjacent end section. The axes of the pivots 7 are preferably located at the intersection of the planes of the outer faces of the side bars 2 and end bars 3 so as to allow the side bars 2--to fold against the outer faces of the adjacent end bars as shown more clearly in Fig. ,2.

It will be observed upon reference to Fig. 1 that the axes of the pivots ,-9 connecting the sections of the side bars -1 and -2-- are located in the plane of the lower use to hold. the bars in a substantially horizontal position against downward. depression under load, and at the same time permitting the endhalves of the frame to be folded one upon the other as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The distances between the axis of the hinge -9 connecting the side sections 1 and vertical axes of the hinges 6- connecting the opposite ends of the side bar -1 with the end bars 3- and are equal and in like manner the distances between the axis of the hinge 9- connecting the side sections 2 and vertical axes of the hinges 7 connecting the ends of the side bar 2 with the end bars are equal so that when the opposite end halves of the frame are folded one upon the other in the manner shown by dotted lines in Fi 1; the axes of the hinges 7 and also t e- -axes of the hinges 6 will be in co-axial alinement, thus permitting theside sections -1 to be folded against the inner sides of the end sections 3- and 4 and also per the end pieces 3' and l is provided with a lengthwise slot or groove 10 opening upwardly from its underside a surficient' distance to receive both of the adjacent legs therein, said legs being pivoted at -'Il to their respective end pieces near" the'e'nds of the" slots, which latter is nearly as long asthe end'piece', said legs being pref-' erably tapered-for strength and are preferably of the same width as the slots so as to fitsnugly therein and atthe same time to be free .to fold or unfold into and out of the groove '10-'. The ends of the slotare slightly inclined downwardly and outwardly to form stop shoulders -12 against'whic'h the legs are adapted to abut when unflde'd to the position shown in Fig. 1, thereby standing in a slightly inclined position to bracethetable against lateral movement, and at the same time tending to hold the legs-against the shoulders.

It will be" seenuponreference to Figs. 1 and 3 that the side sections *2-- extend across the adjacent ends of the end sections and that the-end faces-of the end sections are flata'nd disposed atright angles to the main'bodies ofsaid sections so as to abut against the inner faces of the side sections -2=-to additionally brace the frame when adjusted for use.

The hinge connections -'-6-- are con-- structedv to allow the side sections l' to be swung through an arc of at least 90 and in this particular-instance 180 to and from the inner face of the adjacent end sections when the halves of the frame are folded one upon the otherbut the hinge connections 7 between the side sections -2-- and-end sections 3 and are constructed to allow the sections 2 to swing throughan arc of 270 or three-fourths of a circle to and from the outer faces of the end sections-'-3 and l under the same conditions, this operation being brought about by positioning the aXes'of the hinges 6.' at the intersection of the inner faces oftheside sections l-' and end sections -3 and and also by positioning the axesof' the hinges :7= at the intersection of'tfheouter faces 'of the side sections 2 andend sections and -4.

The details of construction and operation of my invention have been fully set forth in the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings but it will be evident thatthese details may be varied somewhat without departing from thespirit of such invention.

What I claim is:

1. A folding rectangular table-frame having horizontally swinging hinge joints at its four corners and vertically swinging hinge joints midway between its ends, the pivots of the corner joints at one side being located atthe intersections of the inner faces of the adjacent portions of the sides and ends of the frame while the oints at the opposite" corners are provided with abutting shoulders inside their pivots.

2. A foldingrectangulartable-frame hav ing horizontally swinging hinge joints at its four corners and vertically swinging hinge joints midway between its ends, said vertically swinging joints having abutting shoulders above their pivots, the pivots of the corner joints at one side being within the'frame-bars while'the pivots of the opposite corner-joints are outside of the frame bars;

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my'hand on this 3d day of May 1912.

.ART-HURJ. BAOKER.

Witnesses:

. H. E. CHASE,

E. S. ,TUGKER'.

- 00pm: this'patentmay be obtainedionfive cents each, ty'addresslng the Commissioner of Patent.

. Washington, 11.0 

